Your 2012 National Hockey Lockout Thread

[NJTank]

Its over the season will be cancelled Gary Bettman does not believe in negotiating.

[bosrs1]

Well, this is pretty much the nail in the coffin:

A source familiar with the league's plan told ESPNNewYork.com that the league is expected to cancel the Winter Classic on Thursday, the source said.

Source

Doesn't look good does it. November gone, ASG gone, Winter Classic (which was going to be their biggest yet) gone. At this point it seems a foregone conclusion the season will be in jeopardy before too long. And the worst part is neither side seems to give two :censored:s.

[Magnus]

Well...time to get rid of my NHL stuff. At least the OHL won't likely lock out.

[The_Admiral]

The conspiracy theorist in me can't help but think that Gary Bettman only gave the All-Star game to Columbus this year so that in the event he had to cancel it, he wouldn't distemper a bigger, more-important NHL city.

Yes.

[Kevin W.]

I don't care that this joke has already been used.

I'm livid right now.

[NEW.ERA]

What about killing Don Fehr and the chilidish Players? Seems both deserve to be taken out behind the barn and shot.

[BrySmalls]

What about killing Don Fehr and the chilidish Players? Seems both deserve to be taken out behind the barn and shot.

Because the Joker says that he's only burning his half.

[The_Admiral]

What about killing Don Fehr and the chilidish Players? Seems both deserve to be taken out behind the barn and shot.

Sweet false equivalency, bro. Thanks for not reading the article I posted that detailed how the last four sports lockouts are the product of a major union-busting law firm using the public negotiations of sports labor as a lab experiment to once and for all turn the public against organized labor for the benefit of the various multinational corporations that also retain them. But it's as fair as an overtime loss to just say "both sides are at fault!"

The conspiracy theorist in me can't help but think that Gary Bettman only gave the All-Star game to Columbus this year so that in the event he had to cancel it, he wouldn't distemper a bigger, more-important NHL city.

Yes.

It is worth noting, though, that he'll probably have to cancel the Winter Classic and piss off arguably the most important NHL market in the United States.

[ninersdd]

FWIW, Patrick Marleau says that the league had made the decision to cancel the games in the summer.http://www.fearthefin.com/2012/10/26/3561254/patrick-marleau-league-canceled-games-in-summer-nhl-lockout-2012

[JackieMoon]

One can dream.... 2016 NHL Divisional Placement

EASTERN- ATLANTIC

Detroit Red Wings, New Jersey Devils, New York Rangers, Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Washington Capitals

EASTERN- NORTHEAST

Boston Bruins, Buffalo Sabres, Hamilton Tigers, Montreal Canadiens, Ottawa Senators, Quebec Nordiques, Toronto Maple Leafs

WESTERN- CENTRAL

Chicago Blackhawks, Cincinnati Stingers, Houston Aeros, Minnesota North Stars, St. Louis Blues, Winnipeg Jets

WESTERN- PACIFIC

Calgary Flames, Colorado Avalanche, Edmonton Oilers, Los Angeles Kings, San Jose Sharks, Seattle Totems, Vancouver Canucks

[Gothamite]

What about killing Don Fehr and the chilidish Players? Seems both deserve to be taken out behind the barn and shot.

Sweet false equivalency, bro. Thanks for not reading the article I posted that detailed how the last four sports lockouts are the product of a major union-busting law firm using the public negotiations of sports labor as a lab experiment to once and for all turn the public against organized labor for the benefit of the various multinational corporations that also retain them. But it's as fair as an overtime loss to just say "both sides are at fault!"

Yep, apparently so.

This is why owners always win lockouts, because they're counting on fans throwing up their hands and blaming both sides equally.

[BrySmalls]

One can dream.... 2016 NHL Divisional Placement

EASTERN- ATLANTIC

Detroit Red Wings, New Jersey Devils, New York Rangers, Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Washington Capitals

EASTERN- NORTHEAST

Boston Bruins, Buffalo Sabres, Hamilton Tigers, Montreal Canadiens, Ottawa Senators, Quebec Nordiques, Toronto Maple Leafs

WESTERN- CENTRAL

Chicago Blackhawks, Cincinnati Stingers, Houston Aeros, Minnesota North Stars, St. Louis Blues, Winnipeg Jets

WESTERN- PACIFIC

Calgary Flames, Colorado Avalanche, Edmonton Oilers, Los Angeles Kings, San Jose Sharks, Seattle Totems, Vancouver Canucks

I think you posted this in the wrong thread. For argument's sake, it's better to discussed your plan in this thread than here.

[IceCap]

The conspiracy theorist in me can't help but think that Gary Bettman only gave the All-Star game to Columbus this year so that in the event he had to cancel it, he wouldn't distemper a bigger, more-important NHL city.

Yes.

It is worth noting, though, that he'll probably have to cancel the Winter Classic and piss off arguably the most important NHL market in the United States.

Jeeze....ole' Gary can't even conspire to cancel a season properly

[JackieMoon]

One can dream.... 2016 NHL Divisional Placement

EASTERN- ATLANTIC

Detroit Red Wings, New Jersey Devils, New York Rangers, Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Washington Capitals

EASTERN- NORTHEAST

Boston Bruins, Buffalo Sabres, Hamilton Tigers, Montreal Canadiens, Ottawa Senators, Quebec Nordiques, Toronto Maple Leafs

WESTERN- CENTRAL

Chicago Blackhawks, Cincinnati Stingers, Houston Aeros, Minnesota North Stars, St. Louis Blues, Winnipeg Jets

WESTERN- PACIFIC

Calgary Flames, Colorado Avalanche, Edmonton Oilers, Los Angeles Kings, San Jose Sharks, Seattle Totems, Vancouver Canucks

I think you posted this in the wrong thread. For argument's sake, it's better to discussed your plan in this thread than here.

Just adding humor to our dismal NHL season... I honestly have no comment on the lockout this year. It really

[DustDevil61]

You know, if I had the money, I'd love to start up a whole pro new hockey league right now. I don't, but I'd love to stick it to these dopes running the league. I can't think of a better way to do so--and there are a lot of ways to do so right now.

[Island_Style]

You know, if their is a league that can get taken by a rival, it is the NHL. Even hockey cities don't even care about the NHL. Take away the Flyers, Blackhawks or Pens, you get tears in those cities.. Take away the Cubs,Bears, Steelers, Eagles, Phillies, and even the 76ers, you get deaths.

[IceCap]

Take away the Panthers and no one notices

I kid, I kid....well kind of.

[Island_Style]

Take away the Panthers and no one notices

I kid, I kid....well kind of.

No one would at all. But that is part of it. All in all no one really cares about hockey. Not as a whole. That is why a playoff game cant even get a highlight reel. And for the record. Hockey's lack of popularity really pisses me off. My second sport and I live in Florida.

[IceCap]

Take away the Panthers and no one notices

I kid, I kid....well kind of.

No one would at all. But that is part of it. All in all no one really cares about hockey. Not as a whole. That is why a playoff game cant even get a highlight reel.

There's a whole host of directions to take this....from ESPN not covering the NHL either because they're responding to the lack of demand, or if they're helping create that lack of demand, to the NHL leaving ESPN in the first place to go to a channel most Americans didn't get at the time (and still don't get, if I remember correctly).

Of course two lockouts in less then a decade doesn't help matters. Before this off-season we heard about how NBC was paying the NHL a decent chunk of cash for the right to air its games, and how "revenues have never been higher!" On top of that a team moved from a market where they were low on the list of teams people cared about to a city where they were the talk of the town*. The NHL had two high profile teams scheduled to meet in an outdoor game that would have drawn 100,000+ people. Just as things were looking the best they've looked in years the owners initiate another lockout, killing interest in markets where interest can't afford to be killed and reducing it in markets where they have strong footholds.

The NHL will never be anything more then a niche sport in the United States, I get that. Still, they should strive to fill that niche as best they can. At the moment they aren't. The fact that interest isn't where it should be isn't the fault of the sport, but the people who run it.

*I have to check myself when you say stuff like "no one cares about hockey" because the fact remains that the most lucrative national tv deals the NHL has are with CBC and TSN/CTV. People care here, more so then any other sport. Though it'll never happen it's stuff like this that makes me think that a North American hockey version of the English Premier League just might be viable. Take the seven Canadian teams and the viable American ones and just leave. Let the NHL rot with the dead weight franchises. Again it'll never happen, but I'd be lying if I said I haven't hoped for it during the more spectacular periods of NHL idiocy.

[Island_Style]

To give you more of an idea of how no one in America cares about hockey. Not even hockey markets. Read this caption about the Jacksonville Jaguars. This list is from Forbes. The 50 most valuable franchises in sports. The Jaguars made the list. Not one NHL team did. That's right. The Jaguars are more valuable than the Toronto Maple Leafs

http://www.forbes.co...nville-jaguars/

"The Jags are the NFL’s least valuable team, but still worth more than any NBA or NHL team, as well as all but five MLB teams."

Admiral is right. They should have made the North more valuable before moving to markets like Miami.